11/3/23
Upcoming Dates:
11/22-11/24- No School
11/28- Early Release
12/19- Early Release
12/22-1/7- Winter Break
What’s Happening at Twin Groves?
PE: It’s hard to believe we are getting to the end of the 1st trimester! We have been working hard and having fun in PE. We wrapped up a flag football unit and were able to offer the students 3 different league choices: Rec, Intermediate, and Pro. We are now underway with our NitroBall unit and students grouped themselves between Pro and Rec. Students in the pro league started game play right away while the rec league started working on skills and transitioned into games last week. Lastly, we want to remind students and parents that PE uniforms should be coming home to be washed at the end of the week. We also ask that uniforms be returned at the beginning of the week.
Health: In the first rotation for health 6th graders will be diving into decision-making and how to make good decisions. We will look at the impact of their decisions on others and how they can improve their decision-making. Seventh graders will investigate the health triangle and the three aspects of it. We will first look into self-esteem and goal setting as we begin this first trimester. Eighth graders will be looking into human sexuality this rotation. We will be discussing the reproductive systems, contraception including abstinence, sexually transmitted infections, the “Safe Haven” law, sexting laws, and sexual harassment.
Art: We are wrapping up the trimester with our final 3 projects. 6th grade just painted landscapes using a variety of values and brushes to create multiple layers and textures. 7th grade just completed an Art Analysis on a chosen artwork. They are using that artwork as inspiration for painting their wood sculptures. 8th grade completed a surreal collage layering cutouts from magazines and glazing their clay heads. Art students will rotate to Music for 2nd Trimester.
Music: We are in the home stretch for Trimester 1! The 6th grade is learning how to compose and use notation software to write their own motifs. They will wrap up the semester focusing on music production and Garageband. 7th graders are writing their own lyrics to a song using Figurative Language. They have been learning how to dissect a song and what songwriters use to tell stories in music. In 8th grade, we are reflecting on our own musical experiences by creating a Playlist of their Life. They are presenting to the class what music they grew up with and how it has influenced them today. Music students will rotate to TASOL for the 2nd Trimester.
TASOL: We have been cooking in TASOL! Students in 7th and 8th grade have been very busy in the kitchens learning new skills and safety procedures. We have made some great recipes including parmesan twists and Fettucini Alfredo. Sixth graders have finished their sewing projects. They have started working in the kitchens with smoothies, french toast, and pizza. We will continue to cook through next week. Take some time this fall in the kitchen with your students. They love to try new recipes and it is the perfect way to spend quality time with your students. Trimester 2 will start on November 13. All TASOL students will rotate to Art.
8th Grade World Languages Information
Dear Families -
In the month of November, 8th-grade students will participate in the AAPPL (The ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) assessment to assess their communicative competency with the Spanish language. The purpose of this assessment is three-fold:
1. D96 will collect valuable data that will inform our instruction to continue to enhance our Spanish curriculum and instruction.
2. Stevenson High School will use this proficiency data to make initial recommendations for Spanish coursework when your student is in high school.
3. Students will have the opportunity to have experience with an assessment that can lead them to earn the Seal of Biliteracy on their High School diploma when they are in high school.
Tell me more about the assessment.
Your child’s Spanish Teacher will share the specific assessment schedule. The tasks included in this assessment are similar to tasks we use during our regular instruction and assessment cycle in Spanish classes. The students are asked to engage in interpretive listening and reading tasks. This includes listening or reading authentic Spanish pieces and answering questions, in English, about those pieces based on the language the students already know or context given. Additionally, the students will respond to writing prompts in Spanish utilizing learned language skills. The final piece of the assessment is an interpersonal speaking opportunity in which your child will perform for the classroom teacher and will be scored based on a rubric co-constructed with all Spanish teachers across the consortium (D96, D102, D103, and D125) for consistency of expectations.
When will the test be administered?
Speaking- (in class administration) November 8th, 10th, 14th, 16th, and 20th
Listening and Reading- November 29th from 1:06-2:30
Writing- November 30th from 1:06-2:30
What do students need?
Please make sure your student has headphones.
Please make sure your student has a charged iPad.
How will this information be used to make course recommendations?
Your student’s level of proficiency (interpretive listening and reading as well as writing) as indicated by this assessment combined with an analysis of their interpersonal speaking skills and teacher input will be used to make an initial course recommendation that is optimal for your student. You will receive this information in the mail in late January/early February before needing to select courses at Stevenson. You can find the specific course sequence in this course book. In general, recommendations will be made for the following courses based on this assessment:
Spanish 2
Spanish 2-3 Accelerated
Spanish 3-4 Accelerated
As this is a recommendation, your family will have the opportunity to provide input as you make the final selection for a course should your child choose to continue studying the Spanish language.
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
The Seal of Biliteracy is intended to recognize students for multilingual skills and is indicated on a student’s high school diploma. Additionally, Illinois universities are obligated to offer college credit to students who have earned the Seal of Biliteracy through meeting the requirements.
For more information about this opportunity, use this link and click on the Seal of Biliteracy Tab.
What if my child would like to participate in a benchmark or placement assessment for a language other than Spanish?
Stevenson also provides individuals with experience in Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, or Latin could take a placement exam to decide if a higher level language course placement would be appropriate for their child. Please visit the Stevenson website for more information and to register for the exam via this link. The deadline to register is Friday, December 8th.
The purpose of the benchmark exam is two-fold:
-As indicated by this assessment, your student's level of proficiency will be used to determine the appropriate level for course recommendation. This information will be mailed in mid-January before Stevenson's Course Selection evenings.
-Course selection data collected in February is crucial to determining appropriate staffing, the number of sections, fiscal decisions, and building the master schedule for the following school year.
Finally, more information is available on this Benchmark FAQ document. For additional questions, please email [email protected].
LightSpeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report (REPEAT)
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As a part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online environment for our students, we are excited to announce that we will be offering the Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report to all parents and guardians of our school community.
You will receive an email from District 96 that will enable you to register for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report. Once you receive the email from our school district you will have the ability to register. Simply choose to register and follow the prompts to sign up for the Weekly Student Online Activity Report.
The Lightspeed Systems Weekly Student Online Activity Report is a valuable tool that will allow you to gain insights into your child's web history while using the school's iPad. This report will provide an overview of the websites visited by your child while using the iPad. The report is designed to promote transparency and communication between parents and the school, fostering a safer digital learning experience for our students.
The weekly activity report is only accessible to parents and guardians registered for this service. It will not be shared with any external parties, and the data collected will be used solely for the purpose of improving the online safety measures at our school. Parents/guardians will not start to begin receiving weekly reports until their child has at least a week's worth of browsing data.
Lightspeed Parent/Student Enrollment Email Schedule: Families will begin to receive LightSpeed Parent report emails from Lightspeed. This email correspondence will allow you to enroll and begin receiving your child’s reports from Lightspeed for the following grades on or near the dates below.
October 23, 2023 (8th Grade)
October 30, 2023 (7th Grade)
November 6, 2023 (6th Grade)
November 13, 2023 (5th Grade)
November 20, 2023 (4th Grade)
November 27, 2023 (3rd Grade)
December 4, 2023 (2nd Grade, 1st Grade, Kindergarten)
Please note that while we encourage parents to use this tool to stay involved in their child's online journey, it is essential to have open conversations with your child about their internet use. Establishing trust and communication around digital practices will enhance the overall safety and well-being of our students.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Weekly Student Online Activity Report or need assistance with the registration process, please feel free to reach out to the IT department at [email protected].
Thank you for your continued support in creating a secure and nurturing learning environment for our students.
Daily Announcements
Please see the Twin Groves website for up-to-date school announcements. The announcements let you know what exciting activities and clubs are going on at Twin Groves. Please click HERE to access the Daily Announcements.
Twin Groves Athletics
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This site will be updated frequently.